End door for cars.



0 U mw m, N. u I. d e t n e t :a P

.a .S9 ERm GA. Dc Dnnnm D00 F. URM Gon .om Ahumv E mw Emv 4 9 2 3 5 6 0. N

(No Model.)

Nrrsn M STATES PrlrrfnN OFFIO.

ETHAN A. GOODRIDGE, OF PALESTINE, TEXAS.

END DOOR FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 653,294, dated .Tiny 10,1900. Application filed October 30, 1899. Serial No. 735,152. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may colwcrnl Be it known that I, ETHAN A. GOODRIDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Palestine, Texas, have invented a certain new and useful End Door for Cars, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

Most of the pilfering from freight-cars is done through the end doors. With end doors of the present construction itis necessary for the checker to get up on the draw-head between the cars to inspect the seal. This involves considerable danger, as well as trouble, and the consequence is that the checking is rarely properly done, and hence it is very difficult to trace the pilfering above referred to, as it is not known at what point the seal was broken.

One object of my invention is to construct the end door of a freight-car so that the seal can readily be inspected without getting up between the cars.

Another object of my invention is to construct the door so that it can be opened without getting up between the cars.

My invention consists in the combination, with a railway-car provided with an opening at its end, of a door for closing said opening, a connection leadingfrom said door to a point adjacent to the side of the car, and a sealing device for said connection arranged at said point for ready inspection.

In the accompanying drawings, where two forms of door made in accordance with my invention are illustrated, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a car provided with a horizontallysliding doortl1e door being Open. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but showing the end door closed. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of a car provided with a vertically-sliding end door, the door being open. Fig. 4is asimilar view, but showing the door closed. Fig. is an enlarged-view of a portion of Fig. 2, and Fig. G is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

Like marks of reference refer to similar parts in the several views of the drawings.

10 is the end of a freight-car, and 11 the end door, sliding in guideways 12. In the forms shown in Figs.` 1 and 2 the door 11 slides horizontally and has pivoted to it a rod or bar 13, which passes through a guide 14,. Near theend of the bar 13 is formed a slot 15, which is adapted to pass over a staple 16 and be held in place by a pin 17. The pin 17 is preferably secured to the car by a chain 19 and is provided with an openin g 20, through which the wire of an ordinary seal 18 may be passed. While I prefer to use this form of seal on account of its simplicity and cheapness, my invention is not limited to such form of seal, but any suitable seal may be used. 21 is a stop for limiting the movement of the door 11.

In order to close the door 11, the end of the bar 13 is drawn downwardly and toward the right through the guide 14, causing the door to slide in the guidesilZ. When the door is in the closed position, the slot 15 is passed over the staple 16 and the bar secured in position bythe pin 17.l A seal-wire may now be passed through the opening 20, thus sealing the door in its closed position. In opening the door the seal is removed, the pin 17 is withdrawn, and the end ofthe bar 14 is lifted Off the staple 16. The bar 14 is now forced upwardly and to the left, causing the door. 11 to slide in the guides 12 until arrested by the stop 21.

In the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the door 11 slides vertically instead of horizontall y and the bar 13, instead of being pivoted directly to the door 11, is preferably pivoted to an arm 22, carried by the door. In other respects the form of door is like that above described.

, In closing a door of the above form the outer end of the bar 13 is drawn downward. The guide 14 acts as a fulcrum, and the door 11 is slid upward in the guide l2 into its closed position. The bar 14 is then secured in position and sealed in the same manner as above described in connection with thehorizontally-sliding door.

It willbe seen that the seal can readily be inspected without getting up between the cars and that the door can be opened in the IOO vided with an opening in its end, of a door Y, for closing said opening, a connection leading from said door to a point adjacent to the 1o side of the car, and a sealing device for said connection arranged at said point for ready inspection.

In testimony whereof I Ihave hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal in the presence of the tWo subscribing Witnesses.

ETIAIAN A. GOODRIDGE.

Witnesses:

S. B. MABERY, W. C. GALLOWAY. 

